Clinical Director
Psychologist
David Palmiter, Ph.D., ABPP has over 25 years of experience in evaluating, treating, and advocating for people diagnosed with ADHD across the life span.
Dr. Palmiter serves as Clinical Director of The Chesapeake Center where he oversees the staff of psychotherapists and focuses on program development and oversight. He has extensive background in training, and leadership and is a tenured, full professor at Marywood University in Scranton, PA, where he has served in multiple leadership roles (e.g., he helped to developed the doctoral program in Clinical Psychology, previously serving as the founding Director of Practicums and Internships, was the founding Director of the Psychological Services Center, and is a former President of the Faculty Senate) and was previously conferred the University’s Distinction in the Discipline award. He has served on the board of directors of two CHADD chapters, including serving as a founding professional advisor for one of the Chicago CHADD chapters.
He has a particular interest in working with families that are impacted by ADHD. His parenting book–Working Parents, Thriving Families: 10 Strategies that Make a Difference–has won three book awards; he has also posted over 250 articles pertaining to parenting on his blog Hectic Parents. Believing that each parent numbers among the world’s leading experts on their child, his approach with families is to collaborate on the development of transformative goals and cost effective methods, to focus on strategies that are science based, to prioritize each family’s culture and values and to use identified strengths as fulcrums for change.
He also enjoys working with couples impacted by ADHD, using a combined behavioral and emotionally focused approach that helps couples to promote intimacy, develop methods for overcoming problems, grow in their ability to have difficult conversations and successfully resolve resentments. He is also interested in working with couples who have decided to try counseling as a last ditch effort to avoid separating, those coping with infertility, those whose relationship tensions are exacerbated by cultural differences and those who wish to overcome co-dependency.
Areas of Interest Include:
• Disruptive behavior in kids and teens
• Anxiety, depression, and trauma recovery across the life span
• Understanding and alleviating the toxic effects of racism, sexism, and other kinds of
bigotry
• Supporting people in their desire to be free of the toxicity of alcohol
• Maximizing experiences of meaning and joy, in both vocational and personal pursuits,
across the lifespan
Dr. Palmiter has a special interest in how multicultural issues impact mental wellness and traditional clinical work. He is passionate about using evidence-based and time-efficient strategies for promoting resilience and happiness across the lifespan. Dr. Palmiter is a warm and effective psychotherapist who uses a broad range of therapeutic approaches and who regularly weaves magic into his professional services to foster connection, meaning, and joy.
Dr. Palmiter is a board-certified clinical psychologist who has been awarded prestigious Fellow status within the American Psychological Association (APA) in three different APA divisions: The Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, the Society for Media Psychology and Technology and Psychologists in Independent Practice. He is also a past president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and has received several additional awards for his work.
Dr. Palmiter is a very experienced public speaker and has provided numerous lectures on ADHD for university students (from undergraduate to post-doctoral trainees), as well as public education on ADHD for audiences both national and international. He has led continuing education workshops on ADHD and related topics for licensed mental health professionals across the country. Dr. Palmiter has authored over three dozen publications, including two books on promoting resilience in youth.
Education and Training:
Dr. Palmiter earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Scranton. After spending two years doing graduate work in Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome, he earned his Masters and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from the George Washington University. He completed his internship at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in D.C. Dr Palmiter is board certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Clinical Psychology and has served as an examiner for the board for over 20 years. Dr. Palmiter has also been awarded Fellow status by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and the American Academy of Clinical Psychology.
Dr. Palmiter is available to present on a wide array of continuing education topics for mental health professionals, teachers, and lay audiences; in these offerings he takes an edutainment approach and integrates humor, storytelling, and magic. He is also media trained and interested in contributing to public education projects.
Dr. Palmiter is licensed in Maryland and Pennsylvania and is credentialed by PsyPact to offer telehealth services to clients in eligible states.